Safety attachment for automobile-axles.



c. H. HOOVER. SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILE AXLES. APPLICATION FILEDAUG- l4, 1914.

M'ITNISSES: INVENI n1= nvrrnn sT-A'rns rx'rnn'ronnion.

GHARLESH. HOO V l ER, 0F GALESBURG, I'LIIINO IS f SAFETY ATTACHMENT FORAUTOMOBILE-AXLESQ X.

-- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, CHARLES HoovER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois,-haveinvented anew and useful Safety Attachment for Automobile- Axles, ofwhich thefollowing is a specification.

One of the most prolific causes of automobile accidents is the breakingof the front axle, at or near the joint. Whenever one doesbreak at thispoint the broken end comes heavily and speedily (forward) into contactwith the roadbed and the effect is either to cause the car to turnturtle or to throw it sharply toward the adjacent side of the road,resulting in turning the car over onto its side, running into ditches,bridgerails, etc, or on an embankment, resulting disastrously to theoccupants of the car as Well as to the car itself. 5

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple attachment tothe front axle, which attachment, in the event of breakage of either theaxle or "the wheel, or the loss of the latter, will efiectively preventan accident resulting therefrom.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment ofmy invention: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a simple embodiment of myinvention, shown as applied on the axle proper of an automobile, seen aslooking from the longitudinal median portion of the axle and toward theleft front wheel, the axle proper being shown in section; Fig. 2, anenlarged side elevation, partlyin section; F ig. 3, a detail, partly inside elevation and partly in section; and Fig. 4, a front elevation ofthe parts shown in Fig.1.

Coming now to a detailed description of the parts illustrated in saiddrawings and referring to each thereof by a distinguishing referencecharacter, uniformly employed throughout the several views, 2 representsa common type of automobile axle proper, its ends being bifurcated andeach of the arms 3, 4 provided with a vertically arranged aperture.These apertures register and are adapted for the reception of ahinge-pin or vpintle 5 by which a vertically arranged journal-connection6 having the usual journal or spindle (not shown) on which is mountedthe wheel 7.

8 designates a curved, tubular skate or skid-shoe, the front end ofwhich is preferspecification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 1Application filed August 14, 1914. Serial No; 856356.

to close the, opening therein. Its bodyportion is provided withsuitable. apertures for the reception of rivet-s 9by means of-whichPrior to secur'ement' of-thev rivets '9 bolts 14 p-yoke and bracket. 1 i

17, 17 designate chainlinks or the like, 'se-f. cured by means of an"aperture 18in thew front end of the shoe and adapted tobese-I. cured tothe front guardrail or othersta a, I tionary part of, the automobile'adjacentsaid front end-of the-shoe; 1. Y

'VVhile it is purposed to ap l ofie qfmyfl attachments to each end";ofthe front "axl'ej'; jonly, it will be evident that one maybe appliedtoeach end oftheflfrear' axle alsoiif desired. Alsoit will be clear thatbrackets and caps (or other means for securing the skid or shoe to theaxle) differing greatly,

.in structural details from'those shown; in I the accompanying drawings,maybe applied a 1 outline from theaxle 2 j to axles differing in shown.

I am aware that devices fixed on the axles, I I

of carriages and having small wheels adapted 'ably pre-shaped andthenpressed together soc to roll upon the groundin the eventofthe spindlebrea'king,'have been used, but the structural features and modeof-attaohment' of these to the axle are so i'mpracticaljthatf 1 theyhave not been successful.

It will be clear that when anautomobileis equipped with any improvementsthe axle proper (even iffthe wheel and spindle are.

broken entirely off,) will be sustained by the skate, which itself willslide along o n the ground until the power is shut off, the brakeapplied, and the machinesto-pped, Being g cylindrical the skate willslide freely on if? practically any sort of-surface onto which it falls.The chain. 17, secured as it isito a stationary part-0f the automobile,will prevent the front en d'or nose of the skate from under both ofwhich contingencies would occur inthe use of the wheeled attachmentabove referred'to. a

strikingfinto the ground or from'turning I Another feature of myinvention which is f to be noted is that the elements 11 and 15 are tobe positioned on the axle and connected each With the other before theformer is secured to the skate 8. It Will thus be impossible for them tobecome separated from each other by reason of the bolts becomingloosened and falling off, for should they become somewhat loosenedtheir-heads Will strike and be stopped by the skate.

Should the axle be jacked up and the wheel removed, and the jack happento slip, as it frequently does, there will be no resultant injury toeither the axle proper, the axle joint, or the spindle, caused by any ofthose portions striking the floor, the ack or any other object, for theWeight of that corner (so to speak) of the machine will fall on the skidor shoe and prevent any of the numerous accidents Which have resultedfrom jacked-up axles.

Having thus described the nature of my improvements I claim as new thefollowing, to-Wit:

1. In an automobile, an axle, an inverted U-shaped yoke embracing it, askate, an elongated bracket secured to said skate, and a pair ofscrew-bolts passed through said brackets and threaded into said yoke.

2. The combination With an axle, of a cap-yoke embracing the axle, askate having a horizontal supporting portion and upwardly turned frontend, a bracket secured on said horizontal portion, and bolts engagingsaid bracket and threaded into the legs of the cap-yoke.

A device for supporting an axle, comprising a tubular, elongated skatehaving a horizontal bearing portion and an upturned front end, astirrup-like bracket having legs striding said horizontal portion, meansfor securing said legs to said bracket, a capyoke striding the axle, andbolts passed through said bracket and threaded into the legs of theyoke.

4. A device for supporting an axle, comprising a tubular, elongatedskate having a horizontal bearing portion and an upturned front end, abracket having legs striding said horizontal portion, means for securingsaid legs to said bracket, a cap-yoke striding the axle, bolts passedthrough said bracket and threaded into the legs of the yoke, and meanssecured to the extremity of said upturned end and adapted for securementto a stationary part of'an automobile, for preventing said front endfrom striking into the ground.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature at Galesburg, county ofKnox and State of Illinois, this 27th day of July, 1914.

CHARLES H. HOOVER.

Witnesses: I

G. WVENZELMANN, J. PARK GILBERT.

Copies-of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

